The festival, which organizers hope will attract 15,000 visitors, will be held Sept. 28-29 in downtown Houma. The festival is in its second year and is financed through a two-year oil spill-related grant from BP that is intended to revive tourism.

The festival includes 21 musical acts on two stages, including headliners Robert Randolph and the Family Band, an American funk and soul group that is touring Europe.

Brian Nelson, owner of the Scarlet Scoop Ice Cream Parlor, 300 Barrow St., is scooping up Pop Rouge ice cream, a flavor that is sure to resonate with local residents. The flavor used to be served at Lagniappe on the Bayou, a festival that was once held in Chauvin but came to an end 19 years ago.

“We have the original recipe from Lagniappe on the Bayou's Pop Rouge ice cream,” Nelson said.

The Scarlet Scoop also plans its regular offerings and pecan praline sundaes.

Both meats are slow smoked for about 15 hours, he said. “It's slightly spicy with a great flavor.”

Last year, Lewis said, he had to throw away $1,000 worth of food left over because of the sparse crowds.

This year he plans to gauge business on the first day before preparing more.

A newcomer to Houma and the festival is Whitebowl, 235 Enterprise Drive. The Vietnamese restaurant will sell crab rangoon, chicken wings, egg rolls and pot stickers. The latter two dishes with be served with Whitebowl's signature sauces.

“This is just a taste of Vietnamese cuisine,” said Heather LaGrange, Whitebowl's general manager.

Another newcomer is Paul's Drive-Thru, 5020 La. 56, Chauvin, which will serve mini stuffed crabs, chicken chunks and seafood kickers, a combination of crawfish, crab and alligator meat that's been battered and fried. You'll be able to buy cracklings on Saturday and grillades on Sunday, restaurant owner Paul Clement said.

“I've cooked (grillades) before for Saints and LSU tailgate parties and they didn't last past halftime. Everybody loves those,” he said.

You can also get snoballs, nachos, hot dogs and Chili Fritos at Brooke's Sno-World.

<p>Foodies attending the Best of the Bayou festival later this month can expect to taste everything from Cajun to Asian flavors this year, organizers said.</p><p>Nine vendors will serve up dishes including shrimp boulettes, hand-made crab rangoons and Pop Rouge ice cream at Houma's second annual festival.</p><p>“It's an outstanding variety. From American traditional fair food to Cajun to Asian,” festival Chairman Billy Foster said.</p><p>The festival, which organizers hope will attract 15,000 visitors, will be held Sept. 28-29 in downtown Houma. The festival is in its second year and is financed through a two-year oil spill-related grant from BP that is intended to revive tourism.</p><p>The festival includes 21 musical acts on two stages, including headliners Robert Randolph and the Family Band, an American funk and soul group that is touring Europe.</p><p>Brian Nelson, owner of the Scarlet Scoop Ice Cream Parlor, 300 Barrow St., is scooping up Pop Rouge ice cream, a flavor that is sure to resonate with local residents. The flavor used to be served at Lagniappe on the Bayou, a festival that was once held in Chauvin but came to an end 19 years ago.</p><p>“We have the original recipe from Lagniappe on the Bayou's Pop Rouge ice cream,” Nelson said.</p><p>The Scarlet Scoop also plans its regular offerings and pecan praline sundaes.</p><p>Project Learn La-Terre, a nonprofit that promotes literacy efforts, will serve shrimp jambalaya, shrimp boulettes and fried fish.</p><p> Brandon Savoie and Lance Pellegrin, winners of several jambalaya cook-offs, will prepare the jambalya, said Natalie Bergeron, director of Project Learn. </p><p>The boulettes are made using “an old Cajun recipe passed down through my family, and I prepared those,” she said.</p><p>Bergeron is among those hoping for clear skies this year. The festival's inaugural year was a wet one, with heavy rain much of the weekend.</p><p>“We probably broke even,” said Bergeron. “That's why we're taking the risk again this year.”</p><p>Proceeds from Project Learn's booth will pay for the nonprofit's adult literacy programs, GED classes and small business incubator programs.</p><p>Another vendor trying its luck again this year is Big Mike's BBQ Smokehouse, 3034 Barrow St. </p><p>Restaurant owner Mike Lewis plans to serve up pulled pork and brisket po-boys.</p><p>Both meats are slow smoked for about 15 hours, he said. “It's slightly spicy with a great flavor.”</p><p>Last year, Lewis said, he had to throw away $1,000 worth of food left over because of the sparse crowds.</p><p>This year he plans to gauge business on the first day before preparing more. </p><p>A newcomer to Houma and the festival is Whitebowl, 235 Enterprise Drive. The Vietnamese restaurant will sell crab rangoon, chicken wings, egg rolls and pot stickers. The latter two dishes with be served with Whitebowl's signature sauces.</p><p>“This is just a taste of Vietnamese cuisine,” said Heather LaGrange, Whitebowl's general manager.</p><p>Another newcomer is Paul's Drive-Thru, 5020 La. 56, Chauvin, which will serve mini stuffed crabs, chicken chunks and seafood kickers, a combination of crawfish, crab and alligator meat that's been battered and fried. You'll be able to buy cracklings on Saturday and grillades on Sunday, restaurant owner Paul Clement said. </p><p>“I've cooked (grillades) before for Saints and LSU tailgate parties and they didn't last past halftime. Everybody loves those,” he said.</p><p>You can also get snoballs, nachos, hot dogs and Chili Fritos at Brooke's Sno-World.</p><p>“When the bands are going to heat things up, we'll cool them off,” owner Brooke Hyde said.</p><p>Other vendors include La Pirogue, inside Holiday Inn, 1800 Martin Luther King Blvd., whose offerings will include crawfish beignets, crab cake sliders and crab asparagus soup in a bread bowl.</p><p>Café Dominique's owner Donna Chabert-Malbrough said her menu is a surprise but “we'll be there with good food.” Café Dominique is at 8013 Main St. in Houma. </p><p>Efforts to reach the ninth food vendor, Bayou Fish Tacos, were not immediately successful.</p><p>Staff Writer Jean-Paul Arguello can be reached at 448-7617 or at jean-paul.arguello@dailycomet.com.</p>